Kook

“Left Huang, left!,” the coach bellowed, “shit Huang! Get off the ice!” His face was brighter than an overripe tomato. He crossed his arms in disapproval watching his toughest forward skate off the ice. Both with the same expression, anger, but with different reasons. Her skates skidded to a stop with shredded ice from the rink spraying out.

“Yeah, coach?” her face glistened with sweat from the hard drill she was previously a part of.

“Don’t give me that bullshit Huang, you know why I called you over. Office, now.”

They both walked mildly slow, well she was at least. It wasn’t like she hasn’t been here before, well actually just the other day when she knocked a girl unconscious during a scrimmage.

“What was that? I told you to pass the puck, the things that come out of my mouth aren’t suggestions. They’re orders, I don’t pay you to run your own drill or play.” He was standing with his arms outstretched on his desk, leaning forward in anger.

“I wasn’t thinking about it, coach.” She says, taking off her helmet.

“Is that right? Listen, thinking is one thing; defying me is another. I know the difference, and what you’re doing has you not listening quite a lot.”

“My bad coach, I’ll do better.”

“The hell you are! Tatum,” he clears his throat, “I’m suspending you for half of the season, four months.”

“That’s bullshit!” Tate yelled, throwing her helmet to the ground.

"Excuse me?”

“You can’t do that!”

“I sure can, last time I checked. I’m the coach.” He says, sitting down in his leather chair.

“But-You need me.” She stuttered, feeling as if all the air was getting squeezed out of her.

“No Huang, we don’t. Do you know how you got here?” He clasped his hands together on his desk, leaning his chin on top of it.

“I was one out of twenty that were better than the rest who tried out sir.” Tate slowly answered.

“Wrong,” Tate held a stunned expression, “Tate, when the largest hockey supplier brand reaches out and asks if they could sponsor you with a bigger sum than the other brands do; you take it, no matter the catch. Thankfully the catch wasn’t terrible.”

She held her breath waiting for him to keep going, but figuring out the rest wasn’t that hard considering her dad ran the company ‘NHLES’ (National Hockey League Essentials and Supplies).

“You were the catch.” he finishes.

She licked her lips, giving her a second to wrap her head around the thought her dad bargained for her to be on “PHL” (Premier Hockey League), “I took a spot that someone else should’ve gotten?”

“Precisely, like I said; we don’t need you. There’s plenty of others that are far better than you and would replace your spot in a heartbeat with one call. I like how passionate you are with this sport, but you have to be part of the team. You need to learn that; take accountability for your actions. We play the game by using strategy, passing, and following the game plan. Not by force and trucking people.” He sighs, it was a hard conversation considering the league needed her father’s sponsorship. The U. S. Women’s Hockey Team needed money, Tate wasn’t bad, she was just not a team player and was too rough, they didn’t need that kind of reputation going into a game where sponsors watch to see if they were worth being part of.

“What will I be doing during my suspension?” She asks knowing dang well he wouldn’t be changing his mind.

“I have a job for you. You’ll still be paid your yearly salary, but you might need to learn some Greek.” The coach sat up once again.

“Huh?”

“I’m stationing you in Greece. There’s been trouble trying to keep up with the women’s hockey team over there, not just the lack of ice rinks, but there’s only one team.”

“What do you want me to do about that?” Tate crinkles up her nose.

“Hold on, since there’s only one team they have to play against men, which can result in disadvantages just by the human makeup. I’ve been discussing this for some time and have made my decision. I called them yesterday confirming you will fly over to help create a new team. Having one can make a huge difference.”

“How? I can’t- I don’t know how to teach, in four months?” Her voice rising from anxiety.

“Then figure it out, four months may not be long, but it’ll teach you a valuable lesson. Maybe you’ll find yourself there.”

“What does that mean?”

“You are dismissed, you leave tomorrow at eight in the morning. Good luck Huang.” He walks towards the door to usher her out.

Grabbing her helmet off the ground, she walked out in displeasure.

How could her father and coach do this to her?

She thought it was beyond upsetting, Tate’s emotions came all at once.

She went over to the benches by the ‘penalty box’ where she was known to be during games. Grabbing her hockey bag and putting her gear into it she watched her teammates whizzing past leaving skate marks behind, hearing the sticks scrape against the ice as they battled it out for the puck. Flowing in a nice motion, without her. Her jaw clenched, finishing tying her shoes, she left.

Slamming her black ‘Audi’s’ car door, she combed her signature icy white hair back in frustration. Making her way through the lobby of the expensive apartment complex that her father hooked her up with she let out a long awaited sigh while clicking the button that led to the twelfth floor.

“Wait!” A hand swiftly appeared between the thin space of the elevator doors closing.

It reopened, letting a handsome man that had a few feet on her walk in, considering she was tall for most Chinese women coming up at 5′10. This man locked eyes with the color of hair and smiled, “Tatum Huang correct? World’s scariest women’s hockey player.” He chuckled at the last part.

She laughed with him, “that’s me,” turning around to meet the man who recognized her, “Amahle Anderson?” Shock was written all over her face, She had no clue one of the newest yet best three point shooters for the ‘Lakers’ lived here.

“I just came to visit my family who lives here,” he threw his head back and laughed, “for being an athlete you act like you’re not also one.”

“My family are big basketball fans, especially for the ‘Lakers’.” Tate shrugged.

“I see...You know, Blaine, Minnesota is a nice place. No wonder y’all train here.”

When she was about to reply the elevator made it to her level.

“Yeah, it is.” She quickly said.

“See you later Tatum Huang.”

She waved, before exiting.

Walking up to her door, she reached into her gray sweats to pull out her keys. jingling through her hands as she tries finding the right key. She inserted it letting the lock click, walking into her lavish apartment she sighs looking around. Her apartment was mainly of white but had a gray accent. Walking in you are greeted with a sleek white bathroom with a gorgeously large mirror that allows you to play videos and a light that goes around it, going straight forward as a kitchen with a white island a bit away from the modernized kitchen. Tate absolutely loved the view, she made sure the large windows that covered most of her apartment and especially the whole wall by the kitchen and living rooming was available. There was only one room and that was hers, it was a nice sized apartment for someone who lived alone. No distractions, no socializing, no expectations. Now, she’s getting ready to pack up and live somewhere that doesn’t speak her language, have no interest in hockey, and won’t be near any frozen lakes that can be practiced on for fun. She was going to be more of a stranger there than moving states, telling her parents were another issue she didn’t want to face, but it wasn’t a choice now that her job, her sport, was on the line.

“What to pack?″, sighing as she grabbed two suitcases, her hockey duffel, and black backpack, “what to pack?” mumbling to herself thinking that would be of any importance. The stress and the very thought of failing crowded her mind. What if she failed? What would happen if things turned south? She couldn’t teach for the life of her, that was merely impossible. Then again, Tate knew that her team figured it out, heat flushed her face as it was anger that clouded her happiness and whatever sad blurbs were thought. Flopping on her bed she let out an emotional scream that nobody heard but her, all it did was make her throat sore, and her head hurt from the lack of oxygen.

Time passed, nothing packed, she needed rest before her flight although her father had called her twice in the past hour. She didn’t care; when the clock struck midnight Tate started packing, it was long and tedious, but three hours later of packing and repacking she was finished. heading off to sleep for a few hours Tate knew it was going to go off any minute.

Her slumber did not feel long, as she didn’t want to be getting up because of some alarm, yet it was her own mother calling.

“Hello?” Tate grumbled, her mind was still in a fog.

“TATUM WREN HUANG! How could you not have warned us about your little trip? Your coach had to tell us.”

“It wasn’t truly the time or place. I was upset and needed space.” She said, rubbing her eyes.

“How will you find an American boyfriend?” Her mandarin accent came through her whine.

“Mom, you know I’m focusing on my career right now. That I may not have if I don’t find my way out the door to Greece in an hour or two.” Checking the clock, she internally groaned.

“Hockey is too rough, I should’ve pulled you out when you were younger. However, I suppose it makes good pay. For so long of course; that’s why you need a rich husband.”

“Goodbye mom.” Hanging up, she fell back into her pillow, sighing before getting up to start her day.